Daimler AG is expanding its global battery production network and is paving the way for the creation of a cross-divisional electro initiative. The wholly-owned Daimler subsidiary Accumotive at the Kamenz location in Germany will employ around 1,000 people by the end of the year—doubling the workforce almost one year earlier than planned, said Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Accumotive was founded in 2009 is producing lithium ion-batteries for Mercedes-Benz and smart brand vehicles. A second battery factory is being built at this site with an investment of €500 million.

Mercedes-Benz cars will invest €10 billion in the expansion of its electric fleet. By 2022, Daimler will electrify the entire portfolio of Mercedes-Benz, offering customers at least one electrified alternative in all segments.

The company is planning to offer more than 130 electrified vehicle variants. More than ten will be fully electric passenger cars—throughout all segments, from the smart to the large SUV. The first Mercedes-Benz of the new product- and technology-brand EQ will be the EQC, which will be ramped-up in spring 2019 in the Mercedes-Benz Bremen plant and then will reach the market in mid-2019.

Daimler is investing more than €1 billion in a global battery production network with in total eight factories at six locations and on three continents. This includes in Germany Kamenz and Stuttgart-Untertürkheim with two battery factories each as well as Sindelfingen, Peking (China), Bangkok (Thailand) and Tuscaloosa (US).

The second battery factory in Kamenz has been designed as a CO2-neutral factory. A power station and a photovoltaic system will—in connection with fixed battery storage—provide the production facility with energy. The construction of the second factory on a 20 hectare (2,152,782 square feet) large site, quadruples the production and logistic area in Kamenz to a total of around 80.000 m2 (861,112 square feet).

Accumotive is producing drive batteries for electro- and plug-in hybrid vehicles and also batteries for the stationary Mercedes-Benz energy storage as well as for the 48-volt-system. The 48-volt-board-network celebrated its premiere in the new generation of the S-Class and will be implemented gradually in different models with new Mercedes-Benz engine technology.

Daimler’s commercial vehicles are also relying on batteries from Saxony in the course of electrifying their portfolio. Both the Vans Vito and Sprinter will be equipped with drive batteries from Kamenz at the market launch in 2019, as will the current eCanter, the Fuso light truck from Daimler Trucks.